Sewing machine ruffler



Dec. 30, 1930. A J CA|M|CHAEL 1,786,517

SEWING MACHINE RUFFLER Filed July 15, 1929 Patented Dec. 36, 1936 r res PATTSOFFICE" f 'ANDREVJ'J'. CARMICHAEL, OF NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE GREIS'I MANUFACTURING COMPANY, A CORFOEATION OF CONNECTICUT Application filed July 15,

This invention relates to an improvement in the ruffler shown in the G-reist and Boyler Patent No. 1,044,645, dated November 19, 1912, and has for its object to provide a construction having certain advantages over the construction shown in the said patent, as V will be hereinafter fully set forth In the construction shown by the patent just re ferred to, when the adjustable ratchet wheel 0 is lifted for live-stitch rulfling the action of proved construction, owing to the manner of mounting the adjustable plate which carries the ratchet-wheel or w eels.

In the accompanying drawings Figs. 1 and 2 are opposite side views of the improved ruiiler. Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 but showingcertain parts in different positions. Fig. 4 is an end view looking from the left of Figs. 2 and 3. Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail Rview of some parts shown iii-Figs. 2 and 3.

Referring to the drawing, 12 denotes a Y standard which is a part of the frame of the ruflier, ant which frame is preferably provided with an integral attaching portion or shank '13 by which the attachment may be 5?v secured to the presser-bar of a sewing machine in substitution of an ordinary presserfoot, the attachment including, as is usual, 7 a-presser-foot portion l l. Pivotallymounted on a pin or rivet 15, passing through the upper part-of the; standard 12, isan operating leverlG which is forked at its forward or free end for engagement witha roller-stud or pin to be carried by re needle bar of a sewing machine; and also mounted on the said stud :or rivet'15 is a pendulous lever 17 to thelower end of which isjointed a carrier 18 for the rufiiing blade 19. I

The operatin lever 16 carries'a spring pressed pawl-carrier 20 havmg, integral" .of' theY-sa1d*-Patent No. 1,044,645. -In the therewith, a pawl20 which is arranged to to the said rufiiing blade.

SEWING MACHINE RUFFLER' 1929; Serial No. 378,480.

Also mounted on the operating lever 16 is an adjustable'contact screw 22 the lower end of which is arranged to engage the upper end of a contact finger 28 on the pendulous lever 17, forthe purpose of moving the said lever backward to retract the rufiling blade. T he throw of the milling blade may be regulated by adjustment of the said screw 22 which arovides for more or less lost motion between the operating lever and the pendulous lever.

iEiVotally attached to-the standard or frame portion 12 of the rufller is a plate or lever 24 pivoted on a pin or rivet 2 E. Mounted on said plate or lever 24: is a ratchet wheel 26 having two deep notches 27 and a series of live shallow notches 28 between said deep notches. The fulcrum or pivotal point 2& of said plate or lever 2d is-eccentric to the pin or rivet 25 onwhich the said ratchet wheel is mounted, so that by adjusting the said plateor lever 24 on its fulcrum "point the said ratchet wheel may be depressed to the lowered position shownin Fig. 8, or lifted to the raised position shown in Fig. When the plate or lever 2 1 isin'the position shown in Fig. 3, the ratchet wheel '26, mounted on said plate or lever, will lee-below the path of movement of the pawl 20 so that said pawl may engage the shoulder 21011 the pendulous lever '17 at each upward stroke of the operating lever 16, thereby imparting a forward movement to the rufiiing blade at each stitch of the sewing machine. When, however, the ratchet wheel is in the raised position shown in Fig. 2 the spring-pressed pawl 20 in engaging the shallow notches in said ratchet wheel, will be held above the said shoulder 21 until, in the rotation of the ratchet wheel, a deep notch 27 comes beneath said pawl, and the'latter will then fall low enough toengage the shoulder 21 and will therefore impart a forward or rulfling stroke *The" operation of the parts thus far described is essentially the'same as in the rufller present improved construction, however, the plate or lever 24 is pivoted to the frame standard 12 at a point below and beyond the pin or rivet 15 on which the operating lever, caring the spring-pressed pawl which actuates t e ratchet wheel, is mounted; so that when said ratchet wheel is lifted to its raised position, for five-stitch milling, the pressure of the said pawl on said ratchet wheel will not have a tendency to push the said wheel down- Ward, to single stitch position, as in the construction shown in the said Patent No. 1,044,645, the pressure of said pawl on said ratchet wheel, in this improved construction, having a tendency to hold the ratchet wheel up in live-stitch rufiling position, rather than otherwise. In other words, as the pivotal point 24* of the ratchet-wheel carrying-plate 24 is beyond or rearward of the pivotal point 15 of the operating lever 16 on which the pawl carrier 20 is mounted, the action of the pawl 20 on said ratchet-wheel serves to hold or lock said plate 24 in place when said wheel is in position to be engaged by said pawl.

The plate or lever 1-4 is provided with a slot 29 through which passes a pin or rivet 30 fixed to the frame standard part 12, and beneath the head of said rivet is a spring washer 31 which holds the said plate or lever in either of the positions to which it may be adjusted. In adjusting the plate or lever 24 to either of the positions referred to, the walls at the ends of said slot- 29 will engage the said rivet 30 and thus determine and limit the adjusting movements of said plate or lever.

Fixed to the said plate or lever 24 is a spring 32 having a lug 33'held in yielding contact with the ratchet wheel 26 and engaging the notches in said ratchet wheel in such a manner that said spring serves asv a detent' pawl to prevent backward movement of said ratchet wheel.

It will therefore be understood that in the operation of the improved construction herein described the locking means shown in Patent No. 1,044,645, hereinbefore referred to, is omitted without detriment to the operation of the rufiler, as, in this improved construction, the ratchet wheel cannot be pushed downward from its raised position to its lowered position by the pressure of the pawl 20". The plate or lever 24 is provided with a finger piece 24 by which the adjustment of said plate or lever may be conveniently effected.

While the ratchet wheel herein shown is constructed with two deep notches and five shallow notches between said deep notches, for six-stitch ruffling, the said ratchet w ieel may be constructed with any desired number i of deep or shallow notches without departing from the scope of the present invention.

From the foregoing it will be understood that Single-St tch or six-stitch rufiling may be performed by the improved rufiler herein shown, and when plain sewing is to be done the rulller may be thrown out of operation simply by adjusting the pawl-carrier 20 to the position shown in Fig. 3, in which inoperative position the said pawl-carrier will be held by a finger 36 on a spring 37 attached to the operating lever 16. Also, instead of a single ratchet wheel, as herein shown, two ratchet wheels having deep and shallow notches, and one of which wheels is adjustable relative to the other may be employed if desired.

Having thus described my invention I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. In a sewing machine wider, the combination with a suitable frame, of a ruiliing blade, an operating lever pivoted to said frame and operatively connected to said blade, a pawl-carrier mounted on said lever and provided with a pawl, a ratchet-wheel to be engaged at times by said pawl and having deep and shallow notches, and a plate by which said ratchet-wheel is carried and which plate is adjustably mounted on said frame by a pivot located eccentric to said ratchet-wheel and below and rearward of the pivotal point of said operating lever; whereby, when. said ratchet-wheel is in raised position to be engaged by said pawl the latter will act to hold or lock said plate in its adjusted position.

2. In a sewing machine ruliler, the combi' nation with a suitable frame, of a rutlling an operating lever pivoted to said frame and operatively connected to said blade, pawl-carrier mounted on said lever and provided with a pawl, a ratchet-wheel to be engaged at times by said pawl and having (Lop and shallow notches, and a plate by which said ratchet-wheel is carried and which plate is adjustably mounted on said frame by a pivot located eccentric to said ratchet wheel and below and rearward of the pivotal point of said operating lever; whereby, when said ratchet-wheel is in raised position to be engaged by said pawl the latter will actto hold or lock said plate in its adjusted position, said adjustable plate having a slot, and a pin or rivet fixed to said frame and entering said slot the end walls of which, co-operatin with said pin or rivet, serve to limit the adjusting movements of said plate.

In test-imonv whereof I ailix my signature.

ANDREW J. CARMICHAEL. 

